As Kalifa finished her report, Rokuya's expression sharpened slightly.
'So they're coming too, huh?'
He knew all these names. Within the first half of the Grand Line, at least, these people were all fairly well known. Now, every single one of them had set their sights on him.
If they've come, then they can die here.
Chameleon Gamenio — formerly a warrior under Whitebeard and now a lizardman pirate with a bounty of 300 million berries. He is a formidable foe whose Copy-Copy Fruit has evolved beyond typical mimicry; he can replicate appearances and steal and use others' abilities.
"Gamenio is clearly after Perona's Devil Fruit power," Rokuya murmured.
Then there was Gasparde — a disgrace to the Marines, he had stolen a battleship and defected to piracy. His body is made of sugar due to the Candy-Candy Fruit, making him treacherous and unpredictable.
Then there was Don Achino, user of the Heat-Heat Fruit, capable of raising his body temperature to 10,000 degrees. Even lava couldn't harm him.
Bellamy the Hyena, once affiliated with the Donquixote Pirates, is clearly looking to make Rokuya's head his entrance fee to the New World.
Finally, there were the Vanque Brothers, assassins from the Mogaro Kingdom and the bottom rung of killers. They are users of the Jacket-Jacket Fruit and are best known for participating in the Corrida Colosseum's C Block battle.
"Ahahaha—perfect!" Rokuya laughed darkly.
"Time to make an example. These fools think I'll just sit here and wait."
He had no intention of playing defence.
No — this was an opportunity.
To expand the River of the Dead. To collect more 'revival coins'.
And who could ever say no to extra lives?
—
'There are also various lesser pirates,' Kalifa continued.
"All told, the number is approaching a thousand."
"A thousand?" Rokuya grinned.
"Sounds like my river's about to get a lot wider."
"Kalifa, Perona," he said, standing up and his eyes gleaming.
"Let's go kill them."
Kalifa had already changed — or rather, Rokuya had dressed her personally in a tight, jet-black combat uniform. Sleek, flattering and practical. Perfect for a mission.
"Don't worry," he added.
"When the time comes, I'll help you find a proper Devil Fruit of your own."
Kalifa nodded quietly, her eyes gleaming with rare emotion.
He wouldn't settle for the original Bubble-Bubble Fruit either — its potential was far too limited.
---
### Preparations Before the Bloodbath
Before heading out to 'clean house', Rokuya issued additional orders to Domino and Sadi.
The repairs to the White Pearl — the luxury ship originally built for the Celestial Dragons — were almost complete.
Before leaving Water 7, they had to stock up on:
- Food and clean water
- Fresh outfits and bedding
- Navigation tools
- Living quarters upgrades
... and, of course, 'entertainment supplies'.
"A man has to be prepared for long voyages, after all."
---
Meanwhile, at Marine HQ in Marineford...
With CP9 utterly defeated, the Marines and the World Government were shaken to the core.
Determined not to repeat their mistake, Fleet Admiral Sengoku requested assistance directly from the World Government's top scientific mind: Vegapunk.
"We need something—anything—to counteract the ghost girl's powers," he said.
The result?
A mental dampening shield using Seastone alloys combined with emotion-inhibiting neuroserums.
Sengoku was quite pleased.
As for the earlier plan to launch a Buster Call?
Postponed.
Supreme Commander Kong had ordered a halt, citing the attitude of the Figarland family — Celestial Dragons who are directly connected to the White Pearl ship that Rokuya now possesses.
Sengoku didn't press for details. When it came to the Celestial Dragons, the best response was always: 'Understood.'
---
Back at Mary Geoise, the Five Elders were seething.
The Five Elders were still seething.
First, CP9 had been wiped out.
Then came the humiliating video broadcast to the world.
And now?
The Revolutionary Army was using that footage to stir up anti-government sentiment across the globe.
"That damned Dragon... He's exploiting this perfectly!"
"Rokuya is the true instigator! And Morgans, with his damn bird, is always spreading what we want hidden!'
"Stabilise the member nations!"
"Send agents to non-member territories. Deal with this by any means necessary."
They were furious, not over the lives lost, but over the loss of control.
"Morgans must be eliminated," barked the Golden Star Elder.
"If he refuses to bow, then let him die."
They had tried everything before — bribery, intimidation — but Morgans was unshakable.
Now, an assassination directive was officially in motion.
'Heavy coin bounties draw out brave dogs,' murmured one of the Five.
—
Water 7 — Dread Descends
The so-called alliance of bounty hunters and pirates had finally arrived.
At their head:
Gamenio
Bellamy the Hyena
Gasparde
Don Achino
The Vanque brothers
There were nearly a thousand men in total.
As they stepped onto the harbour, they immediately sensed that something was wrong.
The skies turned dark.
The sun vanished.
The wind grew still.
Even the seagulls' calls faded into a choking silence.
"What the hell is going on?"
"Is this his Devil Fruit? Can someone really change the weather?!'
"Why does it feel like breathing glass shards?!"
Then, a scream.
A pirate's body swelled grotesquely and exploded.
Splat.
His blood didn't fall.
Instead, it hung in the air, glittering like crimson diamonds.
"He's here."
Gamenio's voice dropped.
The data they had on Rokuya was woefully outdated.
There were unseen powers, deadly fields and an enemy that couldn't be touched.
Panic rippled through the Alliance's ranks.
'You really thought you could claim my bounty?'
Rokuya's voice echoed from all directions.
"Then die. Let your blood decorate the sky."
In that moment, the storm began.
Thousands of blood bats burst into the sky, circling like vultures.
Beside them appeared Perona's ghostly spirits — her signature Hollow Hollows.
Fear.
Confusion.
Screams.
The feast had begun.
The blood bats danced.
The ghosts moaned.
Water 7 became the setting for a bloody, haunting massacre.